Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. SOULE, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADlNG FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,825, dated July, 6, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. SoULE, of Jersey City, Hudson county, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull specification and description of the same.-

The nature of my improvements consists in the mode of constructing the breech so as to insert the-cartridge, and by means of the lever which acts on the plunger force it tight onto the bore; but for more particular description of my invention I refer to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, the same being referred to by letters wherever they occur.

, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the gun with the cartridge forced into the bore, ready for firing or discharging. Fig. 2 represents the same with the lever thrown back and the plunger withdrawn from the.

f, for the brace C, so that when the gun is discharged the force acting on the plunger E isheld to its place by the brace O, which rests against the foot-piece f. The lever D works on a pin, passing through a slot or groove in the brace 0 into a corresponding mortise, h, in the plunger E. This is so constructed as to form a trigger-guard, while at the other end on each side are two cams, t t, which act on the brace 0. This lever is made with a notch, K, so that when the plunger is forced to its place the notch slips under the plunger E, allowing the lever to pass forward beyond the point at which the plunger stops, bringing the cams 'i t in contact with the brace O, elevating the brace so as to hold the plunger E to its place, the mortise in the plunger E being long enough to allow the lever D to travel back far enough to relieve thebrace G, which is held to its place by the cams t t, and

allow it to fall down to :its place at before the lever D actsaon' the plunger E, which is then drawn back, asrepresented in Fig. 2. The

:cartridge is then put in through the opening in the top O'forward of the plunger E. The; lever D is then drawn back, as described in Fig- 1, forcing the cartridge into the bore.

.' Fig. 3 represents the plunger detached fromthe gun. h represents the. mortise through which the lever D passes.

(represented by a line,) so as to travel backward and forward, steadying the end t of the plunger E. The end of the plunger E which goes into the barrel is turned down sufiiciently small to allow colletsmade of leather'or any other elastic substance to be put on or placed between collets or washers made of steel, with These are. placed on the."

a hole in the center. center, and are held fast by a small nut, these collets being loose. When the gun is dis-" charged, the gas pressing back against the steel collet, which is made of steel, forces back against the leather collet or ring, pressing. the leather against the barrel, thereby preventing any escape of gas. XVhen the pressure is re'- lieved by the ball having left the gun, the

plunger E is forced forward, this center penetrates the cartridge and communicates with the powder. When the discharge takes place, the metal being thinner on the outside of the groove, the force of the powder causes it to expand against the sides of the bore, thereby making a tight joint, preventing the escape around the plunger E.

Fig. 4- reprcsents the brace O detached from the breech-piece. 12 represents the slot or groove through which the lever passes. This is made with the end 10 so as to fit in the sock- This is made with. a flange on each side 0 p, which works in agroove, 8, cut in the wall of the breech-piece,

et on the foot-piece f. The other end has a projection downward, w. This is made so as to come in contact with the cams i i on lever D, by which it is elevated to its place when the plunger E is forced into the borel The above is the description of my invention and the mode of constructing and using the same.

What I claim a right to secure Letters Patent for is The peculiar constructionand mode of operating the plunger E and securing it to its place while the gun is being discharged; also, the brace G and the connection of the breech piece B and the lever D; also, the cams i i as applied to raising the brace, and any similar device by which the same results as are herein set forth are substantially obtained.

GEORGE H. SOULE. In presence of L. E. BULKELEY, J. ALSTON MARSH. 

